the Curiosity Spot

Julian Casablancas + the Voidz Announce Release Date for Debut + Pre-order & Tour Info!

2014-06-23T12:29:00.002-07:00

Finally!! Julian Casablancas + the Voidz have announced the official release date for their debut album,

TYRANNY

The album is set to come out on September 23rd

and you can pre-order the digital download for only $3.87 here!

JC + the Voidz have also added some more tour dates for October & November into their schedule:

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCT 16 - ELECTRIC FACTORY - BUY TICKETS
WASHINGTON DC - OCT 17 - 9:30 CLUB - BUY TICKETS
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - OCT 18 - JEFFERSON THEATRE - BUY TICKETS
CHATTANOOGA, TN - OCT 20 - TRACK 29 - BUY TICKETS
NASHVILLE, TN - OCT 21 - MARATHON MUSIC WORKS - BUY TICKETS
ATLANTA, GA - OCT 22 - MASQUERADE
BIRMINGHAM, AL - OCT 28 - IRON CITY - BUY TICKETS
AUSTIN, TX - OCT 30 - EMO’S - BUY TICKETS
HOUSTON, TX - OCT 31 - HOUSE OF BLUES - BUY TICKETS
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOV 6 - WILTERN THEATRE - BUY TICKETS
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - NOV 9 - REGENCY CENTER - BUY TICKETS
PORTLAND, OR - NOV 11 - CRYSTAL BALLROOM - BUY TICKETS
SEATTLE, WA - NOV 13 - SHOWBOX - BUY TICKETS

The note below these dates says there will be more to come, so if your city isn't on the list (as mine isn't :( waaah!!!!) don't lose hope!!

And, last but not least, a new teaser video as well, for your enjoyment!

Jack White Adds More Tour Dates-- Are You Going?? Complete Schedule

2014-06-12T06:27:00.002-07:00

When I saw Jack White's initial tour schedule several weeks ago, I was a little..

less than pleased.

Like, how could you not come here??

REALLY??

But!

Jack has tacked on some additional dates (hooray!!) and NOW, I will have the chance to be reunited with the living legend and god among men.

Brace yourself, Jack.

Jack's complete tour schedule is below.

Are you going??

**Take note of the presales if there is one in your city and you're a Vault member. I'll be jumping on that!**

*Pictures are from jackwhiteiii.com

*Schedule is from the same

DATE	CITY	VENUE	COUNTRY
06/12/14	Pomona	The Fox Theater	United States
With Very Special Guests: Cold War Kids SOLD OUT
06/14/14	Manchester	Bonnaroo	United States
Age restrictions: All Ages. BUY TICKETS
06/25/14 - 06/29/14	Somerset	Glastonbury	United Kingdom
Time: 10:00am. BUY TICKETS
06/26/14	Dublin	Royal Hospital Kilmainham	Ireland
Time: 8:00pm. With Very Special Guests: The Kills BUY TICKETS
06/29/14	Paris	L’Olympia	France
Time: 8:00pm. SOLD OUT
06/30/14	Paris	L’Olympia	France
Time: 8:00pm. SOLD OUT
07/01/14	Amsterdam	Heineken Music Hall	Netherlands
Time: 8:00pm. BUY TICKETS
07/03/14	London	Eventim Apollo	United Kingdom
Time: 8:00pm. SOLD OUT
07/04/14	Gdynia	Open’er Festival	Poland
Age restrictions: All Ages. BUY TICKETS
07/19/14	Louisville	Forecastle Festival	United States
Age restrictions: All Ages. Address: Waterfront Park. BUY TICKETS
07/20/14	St. Louis	Fox Theatre	United States
Time: 8:00pm. SOLD OUT
07/21/14	Milwaukee	Eagles Ballroom	United States
Time: 8:00pm. SOLD OUT
07/23/14	Chicago	Chicago Theatre	United States
Time: 8:00pm. SOLD OUT
07/24/14	Chicago	Auditorium Theatre	United States
Time: 8:00pm. SOLD OUT
07/26/14	Newport	Newport Folk Festival	United States
SOLD OUT
07/27/14	Pittsburgh	Stage AE Outdoors	United States
Time: 8:00pm. SOLD OUT
07/28/14	Detroit	Fox Theatre	United States
Time: 8:00pm. SOLD OUT
07/30/14	Detroit	Masonic Temple Theatre	United States
Time: 8:00pm. SOLD OUT
07/31/14	Toronto	Air Canada Centre	Canada
Time: 8:00pm. BUY TICKETS
08/01/14 - 08/03/14	Montreal	Osheaga Music & Arts Festival	Canada
Age restrictions: All Ages. BUY TICKETS
08/18/14	Kansas City	Midland Theatre	United States
Vault Pre-Sale at http://thirdmanstore.com/thevault BUY TICKETS
08/20/14	Morrison	Red Rocks Amphitheater	United States
Vault Pre-Sale at http://thirdmanstore.com/thevault BUY TICKETS
08/23/14	San Francisco	Bill Graham Civic Auditorium	United States
Vault Pre-Sale at http://thirdmanstore.com/thevault BUY TICKETS
08/25/14	Seattle	Paramount Theater	United States
Vault Pre-Sale at http://thirdmanstore.com/thevault BUY TICKETS
08/26/14	Seattle	Paramount Theater	Belgium
Vault Pre-Sale at http://thirdmanstore.com/thevault BUY TICKETS
08/28/14	Vancouver	Deer Lake Park	Canada
Vault Pre-Sale at http://thirdmanstore.com/thevault BUY TICKETS
08/29/14 - 08/31/14	Edmonton	Sonic Boom	Canada
BUY TICKETS
08/30/14 - 08/31/14	Calgary	X-Fest	Canada
BUY TICKETS
09/14/14	Columbia	Merriweather Post Pavilion	United States
Vault Pre-Sale at http://thirdmanstore.com/thevault BUY TICKETS
09/17/14	Boston	The Bleacher Theater at Fenway Park	United States
Vault Pre-Sale at http://thirdmanstore.com/thevault BUY TICKETS
10/11/14	Mexico City	Corona Capital Festival	Mexico
BUY TICKETS
10/12/14	Mexico City	Corona Capital Festival	Mexico
BUY TICKETS
11/16/14	Brussels	Forest National in Brussels, Belgium	Belgium
BUY TICKETS
11/16/14	Brussels	Forest National in Brussels, Belgium	Belgium
BUY TICKETS
11/17/14	Leeds	Leeds Arena	United Kingdom
BUY TICKETS
11/18/14	Glasgow	Hydro Arena	United Kingdom
BUY TICKETS
11/19/14	London	O2 Arena	United Kingdom
BUY TICKETS

Gerard Way Debuts Solo Track, "Action Cat!" Check it out!

2014-06-12T06:11:00.001-07:00

He doesn't age, I swear. He still looks 20.

If you're like me and are still mourning the breakup of My Chemical Romance, take note!!

Gerard Way has released his first solo song, "Action Cat."

I dig it!

It's Danger Days-esque, very infectious and catchy,

yet not fluffy or lame.

Check it out!

Gerard's debut solo album is set to drop "in autumn."

Yep.

Your guess is as good as mine.

But I'll keep you posted!

Never stop running!!

To Dream or Not to Dream: Will The Strokes Put Out New Material and Tour??

2014-06-08T16:17:00.002-07:00

The Strokes played Governors Ball this weekend and I hate each and every one of you who got to be there.

Ok, hate is a strong word. I apologize.

I envy the hell out of you, though.

Fortunately, many of you were kind enough to post oodles of pictures and videos, so as I spent the night searching #thestrokes on Instagram, I pretty much felt like I was there.

So a BIG THANK YOU to all you beautiful souls.

Anyway! For those of you who were there/saw pictures/watched videos.. didn't they look pretty damn happy? Like, they could have been in that Pharrell video, seriously.

Julian was even wearing a Hawaiian shirt!!!

I tend to think that it's sort of odd that they would randomly get back together just for a couple shows after not touring for like, decades..

Rumors were rampant that they were breaking up for the past two years, at least!, for Heaven's sake! Why bother just getting back together for a couple festivals?

Al had this to say:

"I know that when The Strokes tour again, it will be because we put something out – even though we didn't tour the last one. Doing a few festivals before you put something out is kind of gearing up the big machine, it just kind of helps everyone get ready, mentally, financially and it brings you back to your audience. You can see the audience's reaction to your music and you just 'feel' again."

Did you read between the lines there?? "Doing a few festivals before you put something out is kind of gearing up the big machine."

They're doing a few festivals.

Do we then deduce that they are going to be putting something out??

".. WHEN The Strokes tour again it will be because we put something out.."

And further, as Al said WHEN, not IF, do we further conclude that a tour is imminent?!

As far as I'm concerned, I'm writing "The Strokes Fund" on a jar and saving my pennies for ~~a seat on Julian's lap~~, a really, really good seat.

What do you think?? Are your hopes as high as mine??

Jack White is a Genius.. Lazaretto LP is epic.. Will be on Fallon this week

2014-06-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

So, I love Jack White. Let me get that out of the way.

I think he is a savior of rock. Most definitely the savior of vinyl.

Just a genius.

The things this guy does..

The Lazaretto vinyl. There is an angel hologram. The album plays from the inside out. There's a locked groove on the edge, so it will play continuously. There's hidden stuff under the label. There are two different openings to one song and which one plays depends on where you drop the needle.. then they meet in the middle and become one.

Who does this????????

Does he work with aliens?? I just don't know. In addition to making awesome music, producing, running Third Man Records, etc.. he has time to come up with/work with people to come up with stuff like this.

How do you do it, Jack?? HOW???

Oh, yeah, so Lazaretto is great! My favorite tracks at the moment are "Would You Fight for My Love," "Alone in My Home," and "Entitled." And of course the title track makes every fiber in my body come alive.

Jack played Gov Ball over the weekend, which is where these pics are from. He's heading out on tour now and will be on Jimmy Fallon tomorrow, June 9. You can check out and download live pictures from every stop on the tour here!

Jack is also on the cover of Filter, on sale now. Check all this stuff out!!

JC + the Voidz Mention Album Release at Gov Ball

2014-06-08T15:16:00.002-07:00

If you love Julian Casablancas as much as I do (unlikely),

then you've been chomping at the bit regarding this whole JC + the Voidz deal.

All these hush hush gigs in like, bars.. a cryptic video titled 'Can I VHS You?' introducing

the band and giving us little snippets of their sound.. a few random Twitter

and Instagram posts.. but really nothing about where this is all going.

Until now.

JC + the Voidz played Governor's Ball this weekend and apparently, Julian repeatedly said

that the album will be out in September.

SEPTEMBER.

As in

THREE MONTHS FROM NOW.

Haven't we waited long enough, Jules?!!

Throw us a frickin bone, here!

But anyway, yeah, new Julian material sometime in September.

Let's just hope he meant THIS September.

Julian Casablancas + The Voidz Want to VHS You; Release Video Interview

2014-03-25T16:48:00.004-07:00

Photo: David Hall

As I told you a couple weeks ago, Julian Casablancas e-mailed me (hehe) with a preview of the forthcoming effort, Julian Casablancas + the Voidz.

Well today my inbox was graced with more Jules mail!

The subject line: "Can I VHS you?"

If "VHS" is something dirty, then yes, Julian. Yes, you can.

But, as we all know, VHS is certainly not anything dirty, but rather an obsolete technology. So of course it would be something Julian would embrace!!

The e-mail contained a link to this video which you need to go watch pronto! It's an interview with Julian and his band (recorded on VHS tape), introduces the band, talks about how they met, their sort of mission in the musical world. It's a damn good watch. And the SOUNDSSSS...

ERMAHGERDTHESOUNDS!!!!

I heard some snippets in this video that made my soul leave my body and do cartwheels. This album cannot come out soon enough. Unfortunately, mum's been the word on a release date and no matter how much I harass Cult Records and the JC + the Voidz pages on Instagram, they're keeping their lips sealed! But it's gotta be soon, guys.. The band has been doing secret shows, dangling teasers over our heads. The album is like the proverbial carrot on a string. And I want a bite. I need a bite. Give me a damn bite!

From "Can I VHS You?"

As soon as I get word of a release date, it'll be on here! I'm starting to think we won't hear about the date much in advance, just get an e-mail/web post saying it's out right then, or in a couple days. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how this reads to me.

Jake Bugg Announces New EP for Spring + Messed Up Kids Video!

2014-03-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

My favorite singer-songwriter out of Nottingham has announced new material is coming soon!

Jake Bugg will be releasing an EP titled Messed Up Kids on May 12. It will feature four songs: The title track, off of his amazing 2013 album, Shangri La, "A Change in the Air," "Strange Creatures," and "The Odds."

The EP will be available as a download or 10" vinyl record, and you can preview the tracks on itunes.

Jake also has a live EP due out on Record Store Day.

And if all THAT wasn't enough.. the video for "Messed Up Kids" (the song, not the EP) premiered, too!!! You can watch that here.

Absolutely love this kid. Actually, he's 20 now.. Can I still call him kid??

WOLFMOTHER III IS OUT!! I REPEAT: WOLFMOTHER III IS OUT!!!! STREAM/LISTEN, DETAILS HERE!

2014-03-23T05:27:00.001-07:00

THE DAY HAS COME!!!!!!!!

Wolfmother have released their first album since Cosmic Egg!!! Ahhh!!! I saw it on Ian's Instagram (@ianstergram) and almost fell out of bed!!!

GO GET IT!!! You can stream or buy it HERE!!

I cannot contain myself!!!

Record Store Day is Coming! Check Out the Complete List of Releases

2014-03-22T16:17:00.002-07:00

The third Saturday in April is a day near and dear to every audiophile's heart. That's because it's Record Store Day!

The complete list of RSD releases has been posted.

What you need to know is that the stuff that comes out on Record Store Day falls into one of three categories:

First: RSD Exclusive Releases: These are things that are only available on Record Store Day at participating shops. Get there early because you won't find them in the same format elsewhere.

Second: RSD Limited Run/Regional Focus Releases: Also available only on RSD at participating shops, however may not have national distribution and are EXTREMELY limited in number. Often 1,000 or fewer. If a title on this list piques your interest, it wouldn't hurt to call your record store of choice to see if they're even getting it.

Third: Record Store Day First Releases: Things that are released on RSD first, then released widely several weeks later. So if you're one of those people who's gotta get the jump on others, here's your chance!

There are a couple RSD exclusives in particular that I am psyched out of my mind about. Specifically:

1.) Jake Bugg, Live at Silver Platters.

It's being released on 12" and CD, but it's only got four songs: "There's A Beast and We All Feed it," "Trouble Town," "Lightning Bolt" and "Storm Passes Away." I've probably taken video of each and every one of them the times I've seen Jake live. I'd like to have it, but with only four songs, the price will have to be right (or the RSD page has to be wrong and there are actually more than four songs). This was recorded on January 2, 2014 at Silver Platters in WA.

2.) Tame Impala, Live Versions.

I will throw elbows for this. Seriously. If we're in the same store on RSD, you get there before me and you're holding the only copy in sight, be prepared to get rammed. The sun will not set on RSD without this being in my possession. Ok? Because even though I have seen Tame Impala multiple times, and have probably taken enough video of them to create my own bootleg DVD, they are THE BEST BAND TO SEE LIVE. Period. End of discussion. Tame Impala live is an out-of-body experience. They change up the songs and jam so hard that you like, can't even listen to their studio albums anymore. Oh wait, except those are also amazing, so, you can.

From the RSD website:

"Eight tracks recorded in Chicago during the band's 2013 US tour. The live arrangements of these tracks are distinctly different than the recorded arrangements, and chosen for this RSD release for that reason."

Would the RSD officiants lie to you? Would I lie to you?

TRACK LISTING: "Endors Toi," ("ET" kills me live. It is the best thing in the world. In the world.) "Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind?," "Sestri Levante," "Mind Mischief," "Desire Be, Desire Go," "Half Glass Full of Wine," "Be Above It," "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards," "Apocalypse Dreams."

Some other notable RSD Exclusive Releases:

Bastille: Of the Night 10" Picture Disc

David Bowie: 1984 7" Picture Disc

Broken Bells: Holdin on for Life 12" vinyl

Cage The Elephant: Take it or Leave it 7" vinyl

Chvrches: Recover EP 12" vinyl

Dream Theater: Illumination Theory 12" vinyl

The Flaming Lips: 7 Skies H3 12" vinyl (A 50-minute, compact version of the Lips infamous 24-hour song)

Foals: Live at Royal Albert Hall 12" vinyl

Genesis: From Genesis to Revelation 12" vinyl

Haim: Forever 12" vinyl

Joy Division: An Ideal for Living (1978) 12" vinyl

Kings Of Leon: Wait for Me 7" vinyl

Ray Lamontagne: Supernova 7" vinyl

Motorhead: Aftershock 12" vinyl

Nirvana: Pennyroyal Tea/I Hate Myself and I Want to Die 7" vinyl

Oasis: Supersonic 12" vinyl

Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes: Live at the Greek. This set sounds pretty cool: red, clear, blue 3-disc vinyl pressing with gold sticker.

The Ramones: Meltdown with the Ramones 10" vinyl

Skrillex: Recess, cassette (CASSETTE!!)

The Velvet Underground: Loaded 12" vinyl

Hank Williams: The Garden Spot Programs, 1950--Extended Play 10" vinyl

The Yardbirds: Little Games 7" vinyl

Frank Zappa: Don't Eat the Yellow Snow/Down in De Dew 7" vinyl

The Zombies: I Love You and Odessey & Oracle, both 12" vinyl

A few of the Regional releases that stood out!:

Drake Bell: I Won't Stand in Your Way, 7" vinyl (HOLY CRAP DRAKE BELL!! Maybe Josh does backing vocals!). The B-side is called Bitchcraft. And Drake is with a libation on the cover (below). Oh, those Disney/Nickelodeon kids, always trying to cast aside their wholesome roots.. and looking completely obvious in the process.

Black Lips: Funny 7" vinyl

The Dodos: Yours Truly Session 7" vinyl

Frank Iero: For Jamia... 7" vinyl (this is a re-release and features covers of the Ronettes and Johnny Cash. Side A: Be My Baby, Side B: Walk the Line)

Kodaline: Coming Up 7" vinyl

Korn: The Paradigm Shift 12" picture disc

David Lynch: The Air is on Fire 12" vinyl

R.E.M.: Unplugged, The Complete 1991 and 2001 sessions on four 12" vinyl

Some artists releasing RSD Firsts are 311, Aerosmith, Johnny Cash, Dinosaur Jr., fun., Jimi Hendrix and MGMT.

You can check out the full US list here

The UK list here

Die liste for Germany here

De lijst for Belgium here

Netherlands here

Canada here

Les sorties de France here

Mexico here

So check out the lists, save your pennies, euros, francs, pesos, whatever currency you prefer, and get out there and support your local record store on April 19!

Maybe you'll see me there!

But if you do, you've been warned...

The Black Keys Announce New Album to Be Released in May! Details!

2014-03-21T15:43:00.001-07:00

Where there's smoke, there's fire!

The mystery as to why Pat Carney was posting weird pictures of blue people on Instagram (@officerpatrickcarney) for several days has been solved!!!

On the heels of the news their new single, "Fever," is coming out Monday, The Black Keys have announced their new album!! And they chose to break the news via Mike Tyson's Twitter.

Yes, you read that correctly.

VIA MIKE TYSON'S TWITTER.

You can't make this shit up.

Anyway!! The new album is called TURN BLUE (oh, Pat!) and it's due out on May 13th!

This is the Keys first album since their mega-hit El Camino, which came out in 2011.

You can check out the official teaser for the album here! And the deets on the new single set for Monday here!

Now they just need to announce a tour and my brain can explode.

Chris Hemsworth Now a Father of THREE!

2014-03-21T11:30:00.002-07:00

Two new demi-gods have been born!

Thor star Chris Hemsworth and his wife, Elsa, have given birth to twin boys!

No word on how Jane Foster is taking the news.

The twins are the second and third children for Chris and Elsa, who also have an almost two-year-old daughter, India Rose.

Let's hope these brothers get along a bit better than Thor and Loki, yeah?

Congrats to Chris and Elsa!

The Black Keys to Release New Single Monday!

2014-03-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

Fans of The Black Keys, such as myself, have been patiently waiting for new stuff from Dan and Pat since 2011's El Camino. The Black Keys generally aren't a band that takes several years to put out a new album. I was expecting one by last year, at the latest. Alas, 2013 ended. No Black Keys album, no news on one even. And with Pat spending most of his time posting strange pictures on Instagram, I figured it would remain as such for a while.

Then, something glorious happened! ATL 98.7 broke the news that the guys would be dropping their new single SOON! As in, you'll have something to make your Monday suck less!

THIS MONDAY, MARCH 24, the Keys new single, "Fever," will premiere!

No news on a follow-up to El Camino, but where there's smoke...

UPDATE: THERE'S FIRE!!!!

Tame Impala covers Michael Jackson! Give it a listen! (Link)

2014-03-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

Tame Impala is one of my most favorite bands. In my top 3, easily. And the reason for that is this: Kevin Parker is a genius. I recently took a writing workshop and one of our exercises was to write about someone who we considered to be a genius. And who did I pick. Kevin Parker. I shit you not.

Kevin's genius and Tame Impala's beyond incredible live performances prompted me to vow to see them every time they come to my area. And I have not broken that vow.

Anyway, Tame Impala went and covered Michael Jackson's "Stranger in Moscow." Need some feels injected into your Thursday? Go give it a listen on Kevin's Soundcloud and float away on the psychedelic clouds of awesome.

(And I'm on Soundcloud, too! Rockinrisa, if you're so inclined :D)

Julian Casablancas + The Voidz to Play The Fader Fort! Details!

2014-03-08T14:18:00.001-08:00

As I told you the other day, Julian Casablancas finally gave us a little teaser of his new project,

Julian Casablancas + the Voidz.

Well, we can all get a bit more of a tease and it's coming sooner than you might think!

Julian Casablancas + the Voidz are playing The Fader Fort, a four-day experience made possible by The Fader and Converse. It has been confirmed that Julian Casablancas + The Voidz will be playing on Saturday, March 15th from 7:30-8pm!

"So, what?" you might be thinking. "I won't be anywhere near Austin, TX on Saturday, March 15 from 7:30-8pm. Well, my friends, you don't need to be! There will be a live stream!! You can check it out at:

THEFADER.COM/FORT

The fun begins on March 12 and you can check out the schedule below. Admittedly, I personally have not heard of most of these acts, but I'll be checking out Damon Albarn on the 14th and possibly the Orwells on the 12th (though I was extremely put off by their attidtudes/"stage persona" when I saw them live. So I certainly won't go out of my way to watch).

Julian Casablancas + The Voidz Album Preview! Check It Out!!

2014-03-06T09:10:00.001-08:00

A few months back, a cryptic image appeared on the website of Julian Casablancas. It was speculated that the rough outline spelled Voidz.

"What the heck is Voidz?" we all wondered. Months passed.. Albert Hammond, Jr. started touring (I saw him). Julian announced some tour dates in countries nowhere near mine. The Strokes were confirmed to play at Governor's Ball. Yet, Voidz still hung over our heads.

Then, today happened.

I'm home, in agony. I had a wisdom tooth out yesterday. My face is swollen. I can barely keep my eyes open from the meds. But I got a bit of joy this morning in the form of an e-mail from Julian Casablancas.

Ok, from Julian's mailing list.

Anyway! In this e-mail was a link to listen to an album preview from Julian Casablancas + The Voidz!!

Whaaaatttt?!! In my pain med stupor, I clicked the link and I swear, if it were not tremendously painful, I would have had the biggest smile on my face.

Check out the sneak peek here

I have no idea when its due to drop, but hopefully "coming soon" is like, next Tuesday. I'll keep you posted!!

UPDATE:
Also worth noting is that there is an Instagram page for Julian Casablancas + the Voidz (JCandthevoidz), which the official Cult Records IG (cult_records) tagged in their announcement post re: the album preview, so it is indeed an official IG account.

I'm aliiiiiiiiive!!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2014-01-05T07:01:00.000-08:00

Hello, universe!

No, I am not dead. I have not been abducted by aliens. I am not suffering from amnesia. I haven't decided to suddenly have really shitty taste in music/movies, etc..

2013 was just a REALLY. CRAPPY. YEAR.

But!

That's all behind us, now!

I'm hoping 2014 will be oodles different. For one, I hopefully will not be sick for four months, thereby putting me behind in virtually everything in life, hence my lack of blogging.

So far, I am healthy (please knock on the closest piece of wood. I'll wait......... thank you.) and I have a new job that is a bit less time consuming/stress inducing, so I should have more free time to do things that I actually want to do, the first of which is maintain and grow this blog.

And, like everyone else, I'm also going to not actually lose any weight this year. At all.

Ok, I might, but calling it a "resolution" is just a setup for failure. Pick a completely random date to start your goal. January 1st has too high of a failure rate.

So HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I'm planning to be a much heavier presence throughout it (unless I lose weight, then I'll be lighter presence.. but you get my point) and hope you will join me.

Let's make it a great one, folks!

I Saw Jake Bugg!! And Breaking Bugg News!

2013-09-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

I saw Jake Bugg!

Yup, it's true.. The Curious Character was in the presence of Master Bugg of Nottingham.

As some of you may know, I love the lil Bugger. I highly praised his first album and bought tickets to see him (five months in advance, mind you) before I'd even heard it. The EP was enough for me; I was sold. So, live, Jakey had supreme expectations to fulfill.

And he did.

10:15ish on a Wednesday night, a British teenager takes the stage at Paradise Rock Club in Boston. He's wearing jeans and a t-shirt. His shaggy hair hangs to his eyes. He picks up his guitar..

And if you think the album is something else.. you ain't heard nothin' yet.

Not only does he sound as excellent live as he does on the record, he exhibits far more guitar prowess in person than Jake Bugg the album lets on. And it's frickin effortless. The dude strolls around the stage, strumming away, laid back as ever, never missing a beat.

He said thank you after every single song; the fact that he was so humble and genuine was refreshing. There isn't an ounce of ego on this guy.

Jake opened with the low-key "Fire," which got everyone swaying and singing along. The anthem that is "Two Fingers" of course got the crowd jumping and throwing up their digits. At one point, during the fantastic, acoustic "Country Song," a fan yelled something, causing Jake to laugh and have to compose himself before he started the next verse. It was such an adorable, human moment and the crowd loved him all the more for it.

The encore included an incredible cover of Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" which led to the crowd screaming in unison: "Rock n' roll will never die!" It gave me hope. Because of all genres that should die.. well, that ain't one of 'em. He closed the show out with another fan favorite, "Lightning Bolt."

We also got a taste of some new tunes.. because, oh yeah, by the way...

Jake Bugg is releasing a new album!!!

Yup.

Shangri-La, recorded at the eponymous studio in Malibu, CA will be released on November 18.

And the lead single from the album premiered today on BBC Radio 1.

It comes along with a nifty video, which you can check out here.

Here's the setlist from the show I was at:

Fire

Trouble Town

Seen it All

Ballad of Mr. Jones

Country Song

Song About Love

Someplace

Me & You

Two Fingers

Taste It

Two Fingers

Slumville Sunrise

Encore:

Broken

Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black).. Seriously, find video of this on Youtube. It's fantastic.

Lightning Bolt

And a couple snaps from the big night:

So basically, folks.. "rock n' roll is here to stay.." and in this blogger's opinion, so is Jake Bugg.

And the new BATMAN is...

2013-08-23T09:08:00.001-07:00

Superman apparently isn't compelling enough on his own, so Warner Bros. is throwing Batman (you know, from the best superhero trilogy EVER) into the mix for the intended Man of Steel sequel. Director Zack Snyder was said to be looking for an actor in his mid-forties to play opposite Henry Cavill's Superman. He wanted his interpretation of Bruce Wayne to strike a contrast between that character and that of Clark Kent. An older, wiser, hardened version of the billionaire vigilante. Names like Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin and Michael Fassbender were being thrown out as possible contenders for the coveted role. All great actors who, if not all necessarily fitting the age requirement, could definitely give the layered performance Snyder was looking for in what he described as a "grizzled veteran." None of them were going to top Christian Bale in my book, because to me, he is Batman. But anyway..

So we waited.. more names were added to the list like Matthew Goode and Richard Armitage..

And we waited some more..

And, finally, after all this waiting.. the new Batman is.......

Ben Affleck.

Whaaaaat?!

Nothing against Ben. I think he's great as a director. Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Argo.. I love all those movies. But as far as a performance of any depth, I'm not seeing it. He's an average actor. I've heard he's now working out for two hours a day to bulk up for the role. Maybe he can take a drama lesson or two while he's at it. Then again, from what I've heard regarding Cavill's performance, he swims in the shallow end as well.

Bat ears??

I'll be fair here and say that I did not see Man of Steel. It didn't really grab my attention. It didn't excite me like other modern superhero movies have. And with this new Batman casting, I don't see myself jumping on the Man of Steel bandwagon anytime soon.

NEW trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire!!

2013-07-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

A new trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has been released!

Since ComicCon gets all the cool stuff, naturally it debuted there. About 6,500 lucky buggers got to see it there, but fear not, friends! Yahoo! Movies got the exclusive on it and you can check out Katniss and crew preparing for the Quarter Quell right here!

Looks like it's gonna blow the first installment outta the water!

November 22nd cannot come soon enough!!

Johnny Depp in Final Negotiations to Return as the Mad Hatter in Alice 2

2013-07-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

Curioser and curioser!

It's no secret that your host here has a penchant for all things curious and that includes the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland. Put Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton together and you have a guaranteed ticket sale from this gal.

Well, news broke recently that there would be a sequel to Alice in Wonderland. I was thrilled of course, but surprised. While I love the movie and it was a huge and unexpected box office success, it wasn't exactly critically acclaimed. But, money trumps all, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.

Anyway!

Tim Burton, to my great dismay, has decided to pass on directing this one. No word yet on whether Mia Wasikowska will be reprising her role as Alice.

But Johnny Depp will be back as the Mad Hatter! Yay!

Depp is in final negotiations to return to play what was pretty much his last good role. Minus, of course, his cameo in 21 Jump Street.

Johnny Depp has been a bomb factory lately. Hopefully this will give him a little boost.

It can't be any worse than Dark Shadows!! I mean, Twilight had creepier vampires than that mess did, for goodness sake!

Arctic Monkeys Release 'AM' Artwork! + Track Listing & "Do I Wanna Know?" Video

2013-07-15T06:00:00.001-07:00

So, one of my most favorite bands in the universe, Arctic Monkeys, made me super happy last month by announcing the release date of their fifth studio album, AM. They also released the track listing and a sweet single, "Do I Wanna Know?" which you need to go listen to. Right now. In fact, I'll make it easy for you:

Right?!! Frickin awesome!

The album also features a song Arctic Monkeys previous released called "R U Mine?" which is equally fantastic. Judging by these initial glimpses and the fact that this band never, ever disappoints, I can only imagine how phenomenal this album is going to be. Josh Homme, the Queens of the Stone Age frontman who appears on the album, has said the following:

"It's a really cool, sexy after-midnight record.. and it's really good. It's really good.. It's like a modern dance floor sexy record. It's really good."

So, according to Josh Homme, it's (count with me!) (1)really, (2)really, (3)really good!

AM will be released on September 10 in the US, while you lucky ducks in the UK will get it a day sooner. In the meantime, you can get your hands on "Do I Wanna Know?" on 7" vinyl with exclusive B-side "2013" starting July 23rd here

Check out the album artwork and track listing for AM below!

Do I Wanna Know?

R U Mine?
One For The Road
Arabella
I Want It All
No. 1 Party Anthem
Mad Sounds
Fireside
Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?
Snap Out Of It
Knee Socks
I Wanna Be Yours

Cory Monteith Dead at 31

2013-07-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

Cory Monteith, best known for his role as Finn Hudson on FOX's Glee has died. He was 31.

Monteith's body was discovered on Saturday in a hotel room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver by staff who checked his room after he missed his checkout time.

Police do not suspect foul play in Monteith's death. The actor's struggles with substance abuse were well known and the preliminary cause of death is believed to be an apparent drug overdose. An autopsy is planned for Monday. He had recently completed a stint in rehab, but had stated that he'd had serious problems with drugs and alcohol since dropping out of high school at sixteen. After family and friends implored him to seek help at 19, he fell back into the same habits which likely have led to his death.

Monteith had been dating Glee co-star Lea Michele for more than a year, and the actress was very vocal in her support of her boyfriend seeking treatment for his addictions. At this time, Michele has not released an official statement.

In addition to his role on Glee, Monteith also appeared in several movies including Final Destination 3 and Monte Carlo. He lent his voice to episodes of The Simpsons and The Cleveland Show and has nearly a dozen TV movies to his credit. IMDB lists him in two movies that are in post-production.

This story will be updated once the official cause of death has been released.

Stunning Poster for The Lone Ranger Released!

2013-05-14T10:29:00.001-07:00

A spectacular poster has been released by Cine1 of the fast-approaching action-adventure film

THE LONE RANGER

Take a look!

Gore Verbinski is directing the Disney/Bruckheimer movie, which features a cast of relative unknowns, like Johnny Depp, who plays Tonto, and Armie Hammer, who plays the title character. Rounding out the cast of new comers are Helena Bonham Carter and Tom Wilkinson.

All kidding aside, this will be the fifth time Tonto and Verbinski have worked together. They previously teamed up on the animated Rango and a little trilogy called Pirates of the Caribbean (yes, trilogy. Verbinski was not responsible for the subsequent monstrosity), which Jerry Bruckheimer also produced. Two of the writers of Pirates, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, wrote The Lone Ranger.

Judging from the first three Pirates films, this group of guys knows how to make an action-adventure film together. This gives me hope for Ranger, even if it hasn't really sparked my interest yet.

Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are my favorite actor and actress so.. we'll see.

How can ya not love these two?!!

You can catch The Lone Ranger in theaters on May 31, 2013.

NEW Poster for the Hunger Games: Catching Fire!!

2013-05-14T09:52:00.002-07:00

A new poster for the next installment in the Hunger Games series,

CATCHING FIRE

has debuted via the film's Instagram page.

Check it out below!

"The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand."

The winged cloud is pretty fabulous. Mockingjay-esque.

Is that ET in there, though? It kinda looks like ET's face.

Am I mental?

Don't answer that.

As I'm sure you're all well aware, this sequel to the massive hit the Hunger Games follows our beloved tributes Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) from their Victor's Tour.. through the Quarter Quell from hell.

Catch the Fire November 22nd.

...And may the odds be ever in your favor.

(Yes. I do have to write that at the end of everything I post on the Hunger Games.)